


Behind Those Eyes

by TheLittlePrince123



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: M/M, Slight Angst?, but happy ending, gets slightly steamy at the end, no spoilers since I have yet to play three houses lmao, nothing explicit tho, y'all are gonna get the bi claude we all deserved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 16:48:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20049316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLittlePrince123/pseuds/TheLittlePrince123
Summary: After a series of unfortunate events in his world, Claude had the absolute displeasure of being summoned to the world of Askr. With the help of a certain summoner who makes his heart skip, he slowly starts to forget his pains.





	Behind Those Eyes

Claude was not thrilled, to say the least. Teach told him about this place, but he never believed that it actually existed, yet lo and behold, here he was, surrounded by smoke and being summoned to this unfamiliar place.

“Welcome to Askr!” A voice greeted the archer. When the smoke began to clear, Claude raised an eyebrow as he saw the voice come from a vertically challenged figure hiding behind a hood. “Ah, pardon my manners!” The figure removed their hood to reveal glowing, dark brown eyes belonging to a man who looked maybe slightly younger than Claude himself. Claude couldn’t help but stare at him as if he were a moth drawn to a flame. Those eyes felt familiar. Too familiar. “My name is Kiran! I may not look like much, but I have the luck of summoning you to Askr!”

“Luck, huh?” Claude chuckled before sauntering towards the Summoner. “Never believed in such things until I got here.”

Kiran tilted his head innocently. “How come?”

Claude smirked as he stood directly in front of Kiran. “Let’s just say I am not entirely thrilled to be summoned here...but if it means being summoned by a cute guy like you, then I guess I don’t entirely mind.”

Kiran blinked. Then his whole body slowly transformed into a stuttering mess. Claude couldn’t help but laugh at the Summoner’s reaction.

Perhaps he won’t mind a bit of a distraction.

\---

Kiran sighed as he leaned over and smacked his head repeatedly.

“Perhaps that’s not the best thing to do, Summoner, especially when everyone else is just waking up.”

Kiran looked up and smiled awkwardly at the archer at the door. “Hi, Claude,” the Summoner sighed. “Come in. I have some freshly brewed tea.”

“Ooh, what kind?” Claude asked as he waltzed right into Kiran’s office.

“Alfonse said it’s a special Askran blend, but I had a similar kind of tea back where I'm from too! We called it lapsang souchong, and it's not as bitter as other black teas. Plus, it has a ton of caffeine, which I am in desperate need of right now. Go ahead and try some if you like!"

Kiran quickly poured another cup of tea and handed it to Claude. The archer took a sip and nodded approvingly.

"Reminds me of the tea I like back in my Fodlan, " Claude chuckled. Kiran's eyes lit up.

"This is my favorite kind of tea, so I'm so glad you like it, " Kiran chirped. Claude couldn't help but notice the glow in the Summoner's dark brown eyes or at least what he could see of them.

Claude sighed and shook his head. "Summoner, you can't always be wearing that hood, " he tsked as he reached across the desk with his right hand outstretched. He then flipped Kiran's hood over his head, giving Claude a much clearer view of his face.

Those eyes. Despite being so dark that you can't even see their pupils, they drew the archer in. His eyes looked so innocent...so pure.

"Claude?"

Claude shook his head and flashed his signature smile. "Sorry: couldn't help but gawk over how pretty you look." The archer chuckled as a light blush formed on Kiran's cheeks. "Anyway, whatcha working on?"

Kiran sighed as he motioned to the map in front of him. "Hel won't leave Alfonse and the rest of the Order," he grumbled. "We're trying to find a good strategy to defeat that bastard, which is why I'm happy I summoned you."

"Oh?" Claude asked with a raised eyebrow. "How so?"

"See, I have many fellow tacticians on my team of Heroes. Although their main purpose is to fight, I often ask for their help when it comes to strategy. Now that we have Hel on our hands, we need all the help we can get. I read that you are quite the strategist who is not afraid to play dirty."

Claude pouted at the word "dirty.” "You say that as if it's a bad thing, " he huffed.

"I didn't, " Kiran countered. "It's a perfect thing. Hel keeps playing us dirty and the rest of the tacticians and I are having trouble getting around her and her lackeys. Our own king sacrificed himself to protect us; we have to stop her before she gets out of hand." Kiran paused to take another sip of tea. "So? Do you want to help?"

Claude shrugged and nodded. "I have nothing better to do, " the archer hummed before laughing at the Summoner's surprised expression. "Your cute face is enough to convince me to do anything, Summoner."

The blush reappeared on Kiran's face, but he brushed it off and shoved a tactics manual in Claude's face. "Just stop talking and start helping, " he grumbled.

Claude chuckled and put down his tea to open the manual. "Alright then."

The two worked mercilessly on their next strategies, only taking breaks to eat quick meals. Alfonse, Sharena, and Anna would pass by to check on them and make sure they were okay, but the pair would always brush them off and insist they were perfectly fine.

Soon, the clock struck midnight. Alfonse went to do rounds one last time. When he entered Kiran's office, he smiled at the sight of Claude and the Summoner sleeping with their arms folded on the desk. Alfonse sighed and shook his head as he went into Kiran's room next door to retrieve some blankets for the tired strategists.

\---

Claude was impressed, to say the least. Terrified, but impressed. He lightly plucked the arrow off of the wall and turned to Kiran, who was apologizing vehemently.

"It's okay, Summoner!" Claude laughed as he sauntered over to Kiran and handed him the arrow. "I didn't know you could use a bow."

"Archery was merely a hobby of mine back in my world, so I'm not as skilled as I want to be, " Kiran admitted before his eyes flashed excitedly. "Can you give me some techniques?"

Unbeknownst to the Summoner, Kiran accidentally turned on his puppy eyes. A blush formed on the archer’s face as Kiran continued to turn up the charm.

"Eh, I guess, " the archer sighed before lightly flicking Kiran's forehead. "Now, stop doing those cute puppy eyes at me."

Speaking of puppies, Kiran tilted his head just like one. "I'm not using puppy eyes."

Claude chuckled and shook his head before taking out his own bow. "Now, I assume you know the basics, so let's teach you how to get a better shot. Now, watch me."

Claude closed his left eye, aimed at one of the targets on the wall and pulled the bowstring back. After a few seconds of aiming, he released the string and watched as the arrow flew through the air.

Bullseye.

Claude turned around and chuckled at the sight of the Summoner's open mouth. Cute.

"The key, Summoner, is patience, " Claude hummed as he slung his bow over his back and walked behind Kiran. "Now, show me your stance."

Kiran immediately stood up straight and turned his body. He then took his bow and an arrow and moved his arms in preparation to release the arrow.

"You're too tense, Summoner, " Claude hummed. "Relax."

Kiran nodded before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Immediately, his body seemed to relax a little more.

"Now, remember, be patient. Don't rush into shooting the arrow. Only shoot when you feel ready."

Kiran took another deep breath and carefully aimed straight at the target. A couple more seconds passed before he released the bowstring.

Not quite a bullseye, but definitely close.

"Not bad!" Claude shouted as he gave Kiran a pat on the back. "Let's practice a couple of more times so that you can really get the hang of it!"

Kiran smiled eagerly as he loaded another arrow onto the bow. Breathe, pull, aim, release. Breathe, pull, aim, release.

Breathe.

Pull.

Aim.

Release.

On the third try, Kiran managed to get a bullseye.

"Awesome!" Claude yelled as he ruffled the shorter man's hair. "I'm proud of you! Keep that up and you'll be a master in no time!"

Kiran's eyes sparkled. Those damn eyes. They contained so much life in them.

Compared to him.

Him.

Claude shook the thought from his head and returned the smile. "Have I ever told you how pretty your eyes are, Summoner?" The archer teased with a mischievous sparkle in his own eyes.

Kiran smiled bashfully, looked to the side, and tried to hide his blush with his hand. "I really like your eyes as well."

Kiran's eyes then wandered upward before locking eyes with Claude. Indeed, both men had rather bright, alluring eyes despite their difference in color. Claude's eyes reminded Kiran of emeralds while Kiran's eyes reminded Claude of ebony. While Claude's eyes held certain mischief to them, Kiran's held a similar level of innocence.

A few minutes passed before both men realized what they were doing.

"Ahem, " Claude coughed as Kiran looked away again. Despite their embarrassing and silent exchange, both men stole quick glances at each other before giving the other a gentle smile.

\---

To say that Kiran had an obsession with tea is an understatement. He would always invite one of the heroes, usually Alfonse, to have tea either in the tea room or outside in the rose garden. Sometimes, he would host a tea party with all the heroes...or at least the heroes who responded with a yes to the invitation. Recently, Alfonse had noticed that Kiran had been inviting Claude to do a bunch of these tea times.

“It’s really nice to see those two get so close together,” Alfonse sighed as he watched Claude and Kiran from the window.

“Kiran is nice to everybody, including the mean ones, but I think he has a soft spot for Claude,” Sharena hummed.

“I wonder if we can make Kiran host a tea party and find a way to profit from that.”

“Anna, please give Kiran and Claude some peace.”

“Fine.”

The three members of the Order of Heroes walked away from the window they were spying from, leaving Kiran and Claude without anyone watching them. It was just the two outside, enjoying the weather and the tea.

“Kiran, you seem quite addicted to tea,” Claude chuckled.

“Addicted?” Kiran asked with a laugh. “No, I can stop at any time.”

Then Kiran slurped down the last of his tea before pouring himself yet another cup. Claude slapped a hand over his mouth to hide his laughter; perhaps he’ll talk to Alfonse about Kiran’s tea problem.

Speaking of Alfonse…

“Kiran, are you and Alfonse dating?” Claude asked.

Kiran laughed and shook his head. “We used to be together, but we decided to break it off after, you know, the whole incident with Hel,” Kiran hummed. “We figured his life would be more important than a romantic relationship.”

“Do you still have feelings for him?”

Kiran furrowed his brow and sipped his tea as he thought about the answer. “Platonic feelings yes,” Kiran confirmed. “Romantic? I’m not even sure if I even had those in the first place. We just found each other attractive, tried to work it out, decided it didn’t and broke it off mutually.” Kiran took another sip of tea and then a bite from his biscuit before continuing. “And what about you, Claude? Have you ever dated any guys back in your world? I bet the guys and even some of the ladies fell at your feet constantly.”

Kiran noted the sad smile on Claude’s face as soon as the question was asked. “Ladies, yes,” Claude chuckled dryly. “In fact, I only dated women. I...never actually dated a man before. In fact, I never realized I had feelings for men...not until it was too late.”

Kiran looked up to get a better view of Claude and nearly gasped at the sight: he never saw the man so heartbroken. "What do you mean by too late?" Kiran asked before waving his hands furiously. "You don't have to answer it if you don't want to."

"No, I want to answer it, " Claude sighed as he rested an elbow on the table and his chin on his hand. "I need to learn how to move on and I think you can help me with that, Kiran."

Those eyes. Kiran had never seen such a gentle, pleading tone in Claude's eyes before. It almost seemed out of character. Kiran smiled gently and nodded before setting down his teacup.

"Tell me."

\---

Wedding bells ring and echo all around the grounds of the Officer's Academy. Old classmates, now with matured faces and fanciful clothing, gather together, hushed whispers in excitement. It's quickly growing crowded, and Claude's heart is racing--not from nervousness, but from excitement.

Not only was he excited to see his fellow classmates once more, but he was also even more excited that Byleth, the groom in question, had chosen him to be his best man. To Claude, it was an honor, even if...

Claude brushes the thought away and forces a sunny smile on his face as he greets old faces, awaiting the time when the groom and bride would appear at their own wedding.

"Hey, Hilda~"

"Hi, Claude!"

"What's up, Mercedes?"

"Too much...we can talk after their wedding..."

The conversation bounces around easily for Claude, but his facade is quickly starting to waver when everyone begins to settle down for the grand moment.

"Claude!"

Oh, gods no.

Claude used whatever was left of his willpower to force on the brightest smile he can muster. He then turned to face the owner of the voice. His jaw then fell wide open.

Byleth had already been a looker in the eyes of, well, everyone, but that tuxedo suited him way too well. It was tailored perfectly to highlight his athletic figure. His long hair was tied back, highlighting his normally stoic face.

Stoic? No. Claude could see the excitement and joy in his former professor's eyes.

The two caught up on missing times, but Claude barely remembered what was said; he was too busy paying attention to Byleth's clean and sharp appearance. Claude barely remembered the conversation ending; he just remembered watching Byleth throughout the entire ceremony. He didn't even notice Edelgard until the moment her and Byleth's lips touched.

Suddenly, Claude wished it was him kissing Byleth. Claude did his best to brush off the thought but insisted on making its way through.

A kiss.

A kiss with Byleth.

Claude remembers all the lessons and tea times he had with Byleth.

He wanted to kiss him.

All of the former classmates cheered.

He wanted to marry him.

Except for one.

He loved him.

A tear ran down Claude's cheek as he quietly left the ceremony, never to be seen again.

\---

"The next thing I knew, I was here in Askr with you in your cute little hood standing right in front of me." Claude sighed as he sipped his tea; it had already gone cold.

"You never realized you loved him-"

"Until it was too late."

Kiran was silent. Claude looked at the tactician and sighed; he knew that look. It was a look of pondering. A look of pure strategy.

"Claude-"

"No need to comfort me, Kiran!" He chirped as a strained smile formed on his face. "I-"

"But I want to comfort you, Claude, " the Summoner interrupted before reaching across the table and gently cupping Claude's cheek. "I can't heal you, but at the very least, I can be there for you. You have no idea how special you are to me and it pains me to see you so heartbroken." Kiran then wrapped his arms tightly around the archer. "I want to see a happy Claude. Not the one I've seen when I first summoned you: the real one. And I will do whatever it takes to smile again."

Claude's eyes shook as Kiran tightened the hug. Although the hug was tight, it had that certain gentleness could only belong to Kiran. Claude exhaled slowly as he wrapped his arms around Kiran. A single tear escaped the archer's eye.

"Kiran...thank you."

\---

"The beach?"

"Yeah!" Kiran exclaimed. "Come on, it'll be fun."

Claude pretended to act like he was hesitating on the offer. It was only when Kiran started pouting that he broke character. "Of course I'll go, you silly dolt!" Claude laughed. "Who wouldn't want to go to the beach?"

"A lot of people, actually, " Kiran sighed as he recounted his struggles of trying and failing to drag Alfonse along. "Anyway, Anna gave us swimsuits...knowing her, she's probably going to take pictures of us in said swimsuits, so please don't mind her. Here ya go!"

Kiran handed Claude a bag. Claude peaked inside and lo and behold, a swimsuit. "Thanks!" Claude chirped. "Did Anna hand you one as well?"

"Unfortunately, yes, " Kiran sighed. "At least it's not too embarrassing."

"I'm sure you would look amazing in it."

Kiran smiled shyly and thanked Claude for the compliment. The two continued to talk about beach plans until Kiran was called for a meeting with the Order.

As Kiran walked away, Claude's mind wandered to what Kiran's swimsuit would look like. He settled on two options: it was either standard swim trunks or a wetsuit. Claude decided both options would look good on the Summoner.

Really good.

Claude scowled at the thought and brushed it aside before going back into his room to get ready for tomorrow.

\---

"CANNONBALL!"

"WATCH OUT, YA DAMN BRAT!"

"Helbindi, language."

Claude chuckled as he watched the Nifl and Múspell families mess around in the water. There were about twenty people total on the beach thanks to the fact it was a secret beach Hrid and Alfonse found while exploring. All twenty people were from the Order or were heroes summoned by Kiran.

A few of the heroes couldn't help but steal glances at the tanned archer. He was already handsome, to begin with, but seeing him without a shirt and only in gold-colored swim trunks only proved how easy he was on the eyes.

"Claude!"

Claude grinned and turned around. "Kiran!" He shouted before frowning and crossing his arms. "Kiran, what are you wearing?"

"Um, my swimsuit?"

"Yes, but with a hood?"

"It's made of a thinner material!"

Claude sighed and stepped forward to squish Kiran's cheeks. "Come on, Kiran, " he cooed. "Ditch the hoodie. You'll feel the water much better."

Kiran stood there and pouted, but this time, Claude pouted back. The pouting showdown went on for a good minute before Kiran finally gave in. In one swift motion, he removed his hoodie and threw it at Claude's face.

"Hey!" Claude laughed as he hooded the hood from his face. His eyes widened at the sight of a pouting and very shirtless Kiran. "Kiran...you look amazing."

Kiran blushed as he tried to laugh it off. "Even with barely anything cover me?"

"Stop exaggerating; we're both wearing swim trunks."

"Say cheese!"

Claude and Kiran turned around and gasped at the sight of Anna taking a picture of them. "Perfect!" She exclaimed. "Two of the most handsome men in the Order wearing only swim trunks! This will sell tons!"

Before either of them could stop her, Anna ran off. "She does this every summer, " Kiran laughed. "You'll get used to it."

Claude chuckled before catching a few heroes staring at Kiran. Claude then turned his gaze back to Kiran, who was completely unaware of the attention he was getting. Instinctively, Claude placed a protective arm around Kiran's body.

"Claude?" He asked as he looked up at the taller hero.

Before he knew it, he was slung over Claude's back like a potato sack.

"Claude!" Kiran screamed as the archer ran towards the ocean. When he reached waters that we're deep enough, he tossed Kiran in.

When Kiran resurfaced, Claude couldn't help but laugh; he looked like an angry kitten. A few seconds later, Claude remembered something: kittens pounce.

"You blasted archer!" Kiran yelled as he lightly attacked Claude while riding his back. Kiran's legs had amazing strength, as he managed to somehow stay on the archer no matter how much he moved.

"Okay, I yield, I yield!" Claude laughed before Kiran jumped off his back.

"Good." Kiran humphed before he was instantly soaked again. "YOU NO GOOD SCHEMER!"

The rest of the Order watched in amusement as Kiran chased Claude all around the beach.

It took a lot of swimming and eventually running back on the beach, but with yet another pounce, Kiran knocked Claude onto his back.

"Gotcha!" Kiran yelled triumphantly as he pinned Claude's hands above his head. Claude sighed, looking as if he admired defeat, but Kiran saw that spark in his eyes. "Hey!"

"Checkmate, " Claude hummed after he flipped Kiran over and pinned Kiran's arms. Kiran puffed out his cheeks before a blush slowly crept on his face.

"Um, Claude? Can you let go of me?"

Oh.

Indeed, it was a rather compromising position with Claude on top and Kiran on the bottom. A light blush appeared on Claude's own face as he started at Kiran a little longer.

To Claude, Kiran's half parted lips and half-closed eyes were a little more than suggestive.

"Right, sorry, " he coughed before getting off of the Summoner. Both men sat up and brushed the sand from their bodies before facing each other.

They then busted out laughing.

"Gods, that was ridiculous, " Kiran sighed before Claude lightly flicked his forehead. "Hey!"

"You look cute when you're angry, " Claude hummed casually. Instead of the expected blushing and stuttering expression he was used to, Kiran rolled his eyes.

"Then I'm about to get fucking adorable."

Claude raised his arms in surrender as Kiran gave him the death glare. "Easy, tiger, " Claude hummed. "We just ran across the whole beach plus more."

"You're right, I suppose, " Kiran sighed in exhaustion before resting his head on Claude's shoulder.

The archer's eyes softened as he looked down at the tired Summoner. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, " Claude hummed. "You needed a break."

Kiran laughed and nodded in agreement. "As long as I get to spend more time with you, then that will be enough, " Kiran sighed. He then looked up at Claude and smiled cutely. "Don't tell anyone else this, but you are my favorite hero."

"Well, I am honored to have received such an award. Do I get a prize?"

Claude was joking, of course, but he can tell by Kiran's face that the Summoner took it all too seriously. He turned to tell him about it, only to be met by Kiran's lips on his.

"Oh my gods, I am so sorry!" Kiran exclaimed as he pulled away. "That was only supposed to be on the cheek! What the hell was I thinking; you probably didn't want a- mmph!"

Claude pushed Kiran back on the ground and passionately kissed the Summoner. As soon as their lips touched, both men were gone.

It was getting hotter and more passionate by the minutes. Hands roamed and noises were made. It wasn't until Kiran let out a loud moan before they stopped.

Kiran slapped a hand over his mouth as he was snapped back to reality. He looked up at Claude with widened eyes. The archer looked quite disheveled, but more importantly, the seductive look in his half-closed eyes caused Kiran to have a slight problem down below.

"Um-"

"Sorry-"

"You go first."

"No, you."

Claude sighed and pulled Kiran onto his lap. The Summoner's mouth let out what could only be described as a squeak. "You're a smart man, Kiran, " Claude whispered in the Summoner's ear as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I bet you can figure out what this all means."

Kiran did his best to ignore his problem down below and locked eyes with Claude. His eyes softened at the archer's serious but loving eyes.

Those eyes. He could stare into them forever.

"I love you, Claude."

"I love you too, Kiran."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to @BloomingViolets for helping me with the wedding scene! Go subscribe to her, guys! She's a close friend of mine and an amazing writer!


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